High intensity sweeteners such as the dipeptide sweetener L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester, i.e. APM, and similar lower alkyl esters of aspartyl-phenylalanine have been proposed as sweetening compounds to be applied to the surface of ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and like comestibles. Such a sweetener would serve as a substitute for sugars such as sucrose which are presently used as coatings on food products. There is a market for comestibles wherein there is a reduction or elimination in the level of surface-applied sugars. Lessening sucrose content is believed by some to reduce the incidence of dental caries. Generally speaking, there is a growing desire to lessen sucrose intake as a part of food products that are pre-sweetened. Yet, organoleptic acceptability dictates that some surface application of sweetness be afforded to satisfy desired consumer preference for pre-sweetened products, particularly cereals. High intensity sweeteners are low caloric and would appear a likely agent for such pre-sweetened products.
Such dipeptide sweeteners as the aforesaid methyl ester (APM) have a sweetening power 150-200 times that of sucrose and therefore must be applied as a uniform dispersion in order to dilute sweetness impact. Uneven application of such dipeptide sweeteners can result in the oral sensation of "hot spots" of high sweetness intensity which may linger.
In providing such coating applications, it is also desirable to provide a frosted, crystalline-appearing surface reminiscent of some popular sucrose-coated cereals. A dextrindipeptide sweetener coating does not normally exhibit a crystalline appearance when dried and more commonly dries as a glassy coating. An attempt to provide a pseudo-crystalline surface using high intensity sweeteners has presented a difficult technical challenge. Provision of whiteners such as titanium dioxide in the coating merely offers a whitish caste, but not the crystalline appearance reminiscent of frosted ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. Use of such whitening agents at significant levels adversely affects flavor.
Yet, application of dipeptides in solution with a suitable carrier such as a malto-dextrin offers distinctive organoleptic improvements in that the carrier affords a smoothening of the sweetness response and aids in dilution of the high intensity sweetener and uniformity of distribution thereof on the cereal or like comestible. Indeed, such a coating is believed to complement the cereal flavor notes and afford a pleasing taste with minimal lingering aftertaste as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 508,299 by Patricia Ann Baggerly filed Sept. 23, 1974 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,000, issued May 4, 1976 for CEREAL PROCESS AND PRODUCT. Although such high intensity sweetness dextrin coatings per se are capable of being dried in a manner which affords a white appearance and suggests a somewhat crystalline character in the coating, the methods necessarily employed call for a protracted or complicated coating procedure.
It is the object of this invention to provide a coating method which readily produces a pseudo-crystalline frosted appearance on comestibles as indicated above, the coating containing a high intensity sweetener such as the class of dipeptide sweeteners and like L-aspartic acid derivatives as the primary source of sweetening, although other high intensity sweeteners may be similarly coated including saccharine, calcium and sodium cyclamate, mixtures of saccharine and cyclamates and mixtures of L-aspartic acid derivatives with saccharine and/or cyclamates.